We Won Gold at The Gin Masters 2026 🥇 - Meet Salford Original Dry Gin
When we decided to make a gin, we knew it had to be special. Not just another bottle on the shelf - a gin worthy of the Salford name, and one that could genuinely compete with the best gin in the country.
Today, we're beyond proud to share that our very first gin, Salford Original Dry, has been awarded Gold in the London Dry category at The Gin Masters 2026 - one of the most respected blind-tasting competitions in the spirits industry, run as part of The Global Spirits Masters Competitions and judged by an independent panel of leading drinks writers, buyers and consultants. It's official recognition as one of the best new gins of 2026, decided by taste alone.
For a distillery built on rum, that's not bad going at all. 🥃
What Winning Gold at The Gin Masters 2026 Really Means
This isn't just recognition for the liquid in the bottle. It's recognition for the team behind it.
The Gin Masters is a blind tasting - meaning judges score every gin purely on aroma, palate and character, with zero knowledge of who made it or how much it costs. Salford Original Dry stood shoulder to shoulder with entries from some of the biggest names in gin, and came out with a Gold medal in the London Dry category, one of the largest and most competitive flights in the entire competition.
In an industry crowded with new launches every year, a Gold medal from independent judges is proof that our gin isn't just a good story - it's a genuinely excellent gin.
The Team Behind the Gold
A huge shout-out to Hendo, our Head of Distillery, who spent months refining and perfecting the recipe to create a gin that's proudly rooted in Salford. Every botanical, every distillation run, every tiny tweak was in service of one goal: a gin that tasted unmistakably us.
And to the whole distillery team, who meticulously scaled that recipe up on Willow, our 380-litre still, without ever compromising what made it special in the first place. Scaling a recipe from small test batches to full production runs is one of the hardest parts of distilling - lose the balance and you lose the gin. They didn't lose a thing.
Introducing the Salford Gin Experience
To celebrate, the team has pulled together a brand new Gin Experience, showcasing everything that's gone into creating our award-winning gin - from the botanicals we chose and why, to a first-hand look at Willow in action.
The Salford Gin Experience launches this Friday, and it's the perfect way to taste the Gold-medal-winning gin for yourself, meet the people who made it, and see behind the scenes at a Salford rum distillery that decided to make one of the best new gins in the country.
Taste the Gold-Medal Winner for Yourself
Salford Original Dry Gin is available now - and if you want the full story straight from the people who made it, book onto our new Gin Experience and see (and taste) exactly what earned us that Gold medal.
Cheers to the team, cheers to Willow, and cheers to a gin worthy of the Salford name. 🥇🍸
FAQs About Salford Original Dry Gin
What is the best gin from Salford? Salford Original Dry is our flagship gin and the first spirit we've ever released as a distillery historically known for rum. It was awarded Gold in the London Dry category at The Gin Masters 2026, making it one of the best-reviewed new gins from a Manchester-area distillery this year.
Did Salford win an award for its gin? Yes. Salford Original Dry won a Gold medal at The Gin Masters 2026, part of The Global Spirits Masters Competitions, judged blind by an independent panel of drinks writers, buyers and spirits consultants.
Where can I try Salford's award-winning gin? You can try Salford Original Dry Gin, our Gold medal-winning gin, at our new Gin Experience, launching this Friday at the distillery.
What still is Salford Original Dry Gin made on? Salford Original Dry is distilled on Willow, our 380-litre still, by our Head of Distillery, Hendo, and the wider distillery team.
Source: The Gin Masters 2026 - First Tasting Results, The Spirits Business
